"Contrary to popular opinion, they don't actually enclose the beach off," she said.

"They're just hung in the water designed specifically to take sharks out of the system.

"Once they've got fauna caught in those they actually do attract sharks in them as well so for those reasons the government has made the decision it's not the right time to do this."

Ms Thorne says the Government did an assessment last year and decided that shark nets probably were not appropriate for WA.

"However, they have given us some funding to have a look at a desk top study on shark netting as it occurs in other jurisdictions across the country, just to see what the effectiveness it and once and for all put it to bed as to whether they're going to be used in WA."

It is looking into other technologies, including electronic shark repellents.

The fisheries department's Tony Cappelluti says the recent shark attack will change the way people view the water

"Obviously these things do put some concerns in people's minds, and they do change their behaviour, but I suppose with any outdoor pursuit, if it looks to start to be risky people do change their behaviour," he said.

Busselton Shire councillor Grant Henley says while the people in the South West are resilient, the attack has understandably scared people out of the ocean.

"Bringing it so close to home it certainly shocks you and I know a lot of my friends who are keen divers are certainly contemplating when they'll next enter the water," he said.

The Opposition Leader Mark McGowan says he does not support calls for a shark cull.

Mr McGowan says it's a terrible tragedy, but other than shark patrols, there is little else governments can do.

"I'm not going to say that the Government needs to do more when there's really very little else that can be done," he said.

"I would not like to see a culling program, Great Whites are a fact of life, they live in their domain, they're hunters of opportunity and they're something that's out there that you just need to be aware of when you go out there in the water."